Thesis advisor: Richard Atkins / The topic of this thesis is testimonial epistemic injustice in the courtroom context. Testimonial epistemic injustice occurs when someone’s testimony is unduly downgraded (credibility deficit) or unduly upgraded (credibility excess) due to a structural social prejudice held by the listener. Examples of structural social prejudices are prejudices concerning race, gender, class, and degree of education obtained by the testifier. Credibility assessments are influenced by listeners’ biases, the social context of the interaction, and the perceived disposition of the testifier. In this paper, I intend to examine (1) what testimonial epistemic injustice is and (2) what can be done to address testimonial epistemic injustice in courtrooms. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Scholar of the College. / Discipline: Philosophy.

abstract: Madness is disruptive. It doesn't play by the rules. Madness is influenced, created, and caused by many different factors; it can be at different times disorienting, debilitating, or a space of radical potential. In this thesis, I argue for the empowering potential of narrative and rewriting identity in the face of painful disruptions. I argue that the way that we conceptualize madness and how we internalize trauma affects how we reconfigure identity as an ongoing process and therefore whether and how we are able to embrace creative, diverse and dynamically empowered futures. I argue against positivist traditions of categorization and concept formation when it comes to madness – whether medical or historic//cultural/social. I first use similar tools to “categorize the categorizers” and later break away from positivist tradition through feminist inquiry, pushing against static, linear, and inactive kind and family conceptual hierarchies with my own experience. I use active feminist frameworks and phenomenological ontologies to argue for a corrective epistemic justice exposing reductive gaps in the literature and highlighting the links between violence/oppression/trauma/agency and mental illness that positivist models minimize. I employ personal experiences of gender-based violence and my own changing and intersectional understanding and experience of depression and mental health as a lens through which different pathways can emerge. I use memoir as method to disturb the binary limitations of madness models, instead offering a conceptualization of madness as fluid, intersectional, changing, and deeply personal: an experience that cannot be reduced and compartmentalized. Finally, I explore the pain of trauma and madness as well as the possibility therein towards action as a way of reclaiming self-agency. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Social Justice and Human Rights 2018

This dissertation examines the processes by which multiple positioned actors in Participatory Action Research or Community-Based Participatory Research (PAR/CBPR) understand, reproduce, and contest systems of power and oppression in the context of their relationships and collaborations to support community-driven change efforts. The first chapter serves as a preface by reviewing relevant literature on participatory action research and power. The rest of the dissertation consists of three empirical papers. The first of these papers examined the extent to which scholars interrogate systems of power and oppression in (PAR/CBPR) to advance social justice. Scoping review methodology was employed to systematically review scholarly literature written in English and published between 2010 and 2020 across 5 databases. Thematic analysis and data charting yielded six scholarly articles using critical self-reflexive qualitative methodologies to explore manifestations of power within the partnership. Articles describe researchers employing individual critical reflections to confront individual assumptions, modify individual collaboration practices, and identify multilevel structures restraining participatory action approaches to research. The second paper explored the perceptions of researchers and community stakeholders regarding key processes questioning and addressing power issues within the (PAR/CBPR) collaborations. Individual in-depth semi-structured interviews (n=23) were conducted with social work researchers (n=13) and community stakeholders (n=10) with current or prior experience engaging in (PAR/CBPR) to examine the ways they define, negotiate, and address power differentials and oppression within their collaborations. Key emerging themes and discourses merged into a conceptual model illustrated with a metaphor of a river to highlight key social sites, paradigms of knowledge production, and the degree to which it aligns with the pursuit of social justice. Downstream strategies that sustain colonial forms of knowledge production included othering, disembodiment, and extraction. Conversely, upstream approaches underscored the centrality of redefining social relationships and ethical commitments within PAR/CBPR collaborations through the cultivation of unsettling counterspaces, counternarratives, and dialogical brave spaces. Finally, the third paper explored researchers and community stakeholders’ conceptualization and understanding of social justice as well as recommendations for social work research, practice, and policy to contest power and oppression in the context of PAR/CBPR. A second wave of individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with social work researchers (n=11) and community stakeholders (n=11) with current or prior experience engaging in PAR/CBPR were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings illustrated converging and diverging understandings of social justice, in particular, community stakeholders emphasized an understanding of social justice interdependent of systemic transformations through dialogical processes among stakeholders, researchers, and social institutions. PAR/CBPR was described as a facilitating factor of social justice by fostering counterspaces and counternarratives. Additionally, PAR/CBPR was defined as a factor limiting the pursuit of social justice and deeply entrenched with tenure-track promotion and funding mechanisms perpetuating top-down configurations of power. Together and independently these papers further our understanding of the ways in which structural oppression and power in (PAR/CBPR) can be addressed. Research findings from all three studies highlighted participatory action research is not exempt from power hierarchies, and that multilevel strategies promoting counterspaces, counternarratives, and institutional changes are essential when redressing, negotiating, and contesting power and oppression. Findings inform best practices for the development of PAR/CBPR collaborations embodying ethical relationality across social work research, practice, education, and policy. Future studies should consider the use of longitudinal and critically in-depth dialogical approaches between multiple positioned actors in PAR/CBPR when defining social justice, PAR/CBPR, and power. / 2028-04-30

Transitional care represents a critical juncture in the continuing care of patients with chronic conditions, particularly for adolescent patients. It also represents a significant point of failure in that process for adolescents, with many patients experiencing difficulties during the transition between adolescent and adult medicine that lead to negative long-term impact on health and wellbeing. This thesis aims at addressing adolescent transitional care processes and its obstacles through a broad medical humanities inquiry in a multidisciplinary dialogue between philosophy, social sciences, and medicine. The social, anthropological, and medical concepts of adolescence and autonomy were derived from a literature review and used to identify and philosophically analyze obstacles to adolescent transitional care. Studies were used to illuminate those obstacles. For a first person-perspective analysis, an autoethnography was developed to provide patient testimony, towards improving the reflection on transitional care. This analysis tested the alignment of the author’s experiences in interacting with a healthcare transition as part of the patient population with those recorded in the literature. This study has found barriers and facilitators concerning autonomy and communication at many levels and among many parties involved in the transition, such as patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and healthcare systems operations, particularly regarding insurance management. This study recommends a focused coordination of primary care and/or transitional care specialists with the participation of adolescent patients’ voices and testimony to develop and manage challenges to autonomy in transitional care.

A lo largo de las últimas décadas se ha venido planteando la necesidad de problematizar la manera como se construye el conocimiento y de poner en evidencia las relaciones entre conocimiento y poder. Una valiosa innovación, que busca abrir la educación superior a la inclusión de nuevos actores y nuevas voces, ha sido la redefinición del equipo formador de algunos institutos superiores pedagógicos y universidades convencionales para incluir conocedores y conocedoras de los pueblos originarios. No obstante, en este artículo argumento que su participación en los procesos de formación docente no necesariamente garantiza el desarrollo de prácticas que hagan evidente la existencia de formas de pensar alternativas al conocimiento hegemónico ni las múltiples formas como se producen. Para que esto ocurra, es necesario tomar conciencia de la compleja relación entre conocimiento y poder, y analizar la forma como esta se expresa en la formación superior y, de manera concreta, en la institución formadora. Sustento este argumento en la experiencia del Programa de Formación de Maestros Bilingües de la Amazonía Peruana (Formabiap), al cual he acompañado a lo largo de los últimos veintinueve años, en mi experiencia directa y en sistematizaciones y evaluaciones internas y externas del programa. / During the last decades the need to question the way in which knowledge is constructed as well as its relation with power issues has come forward. An important innovation in some teacher training colleges and conventional universities is the redefinition of the teaching staff. They have included indigenous elders as an attempt to open higher education to the inclusion of new actors and new voices. However, in this article I argue that the participation of indigenous elders in teacher training processes, does not necessarily guarantee the development of practises that will highlight the existence of ways of thinking alternative to hegemonic knowledge nor the multiple ways in which knowledge is produced. For this to happen consciousness must be gained regarding the complex relations between knowledge and power, and the way in which it is expressed in higher education in general and in specific academic spaces. Drawing from the experience of the Teacher Training Programme of the Peruvian Amazon (Formabiap), which I have accompanied during the last 29 years, I sustain my argument with information gained through my direct experience with the Programme and from documents, studies and internal and external evaluations of its process.

Tesis por compendio / [ES] La presente tesis doctoral analiza cuatro procesos de coproducción de conocimiento entre universidad y sociedad, facilitados a partir de metodologías participativas, así como sus contribuciones a la expansión de cuatro capacidades para la liberación epistémica en las personas que participan. Los principales fundamentos teóricos que orientan este estudio son el Enfoque de Capacidades para el Desarrollo Humano, la Justicia Epistémica y la Educación Liberadora. Esta tesis se realizó en la modalidad de compendio de publicaciones científicas, recogiendo tres artículos y un capítulo de libro publicado en una editorial de prestigio. La estrategia metodológica es de tipo cualitativo y se realiza a partir de la observación participante, entrevistas, talleres participativos y análisis del discurso (capítulo 1). A partir de una perspectiva crítica de las injusticias epistémicas propuestas por Miranda Fricker (2015), me posiciono desde las personas oprimidas a nivel histórico en los procesos de producción de conocimiento entre universidad y sociedad. Desde tal posicionamiento teórico y práctico en torno a la educación liberadora propuesta por el pedagogo brasileño Paulo Freire (1970;1978) identifico, formulo y analizo cuatro capacidades para la liberación epistémica que se alinean con los valores y principios del desarrollo humano. Estas capacidades se han visto potenciadas en las personas que participaron en los cuatro casos de estudios que serán explorados en esta tesis: la experiencia de investigación-acción participativa con cartografía social con niñas y niños de 4º Primaria del CEIP Vicente Gaos (capítulo 2); el proceso de Aprendizaje en Acción con alumnado del Máster en Cooperación al Desarrollo de la Universitat Politècnica de València y actores del barrio Na Rovella (capítulo 3); el subproceso de Fotovoz con las y los jóvenes de secundaria del IES Jordi de Sant Jordi (capítulo 4); y la iniciativa de la Red de Investigadores Comunitarios (RIC) en Medellín, Colombia (capítulo 5). Estas capacidades para la liberación epistémica son: la capacidad de ser reconocida como sujeta productora de conocimiento válido, la capacidad de hacer desde la apertura comunicativa, la capacidad de aprender del saber colectivo para el bien común y la capacidad de transformar desde la acción colectiva. Por otro lado, también identifico cuatro opresiones que limitan y obstaculizan la expansión de estas capacidades en las interacciones educativas y en los procesos de producción de conocimiento. La opresión ontológica limita y obstaculiza la capacidad de ser, las opresiones de tipo epistémica - expresivas e interpretativas - limitan, respectivamente, la capacidad de hacer y aprender, y las opresiones epistemológicas limitan la capacidad de transformar. A partir de tales capacidades y opresiones, exploro el caso de resistencia e insurrección hermenéutica de las lideresas y líderes comunitarios que participan en la RIC. A continuación, realizo una discusión global de los principales resultados de la tesis (capítulo 6). Por último, recojo las principales contribuciones y conclusiones del presente estudio doctoral a los procesos de coproducción de conocimiento entre universidad y sociedad que pretendan contribuir a la liberación epistémica de las personas que participan (capitulo 7). / [CA] La present tesi doctoral analitza quatre processos de coproducció de coneixement entre universitat i societat, facilitats a partir de metodologies participatives, així com les seves contribucions a l'expansió de quatre capacitats per a l'alliberament epistèmica en les persones que participen. Els principals fonaments teòrics que orienten aquest estudi són l'Enfocament de Capacitats per al Desenvolupament Humà, la Justícia Epistèmica i l'Educació Alliberadora. Aquesta tesi es va realitzar en la modalitat de compendi de publicacions científiques, recollint tres articles i un capítol de llibre publicat en una editorial de prestigi. L'estratègia metodològica és de tipus qualitatiu i es realitza a partir de l'observació participant, entrevistes, tallers participatius i anàlisis del discurs (capítol 1). A partir d'una perspectiva crítica de les injustícies epistèmics propostes per Miranda Fricker (2015), em posiciono des de les persones oprimides a nivell històric en els processos de producció de coneixement entre universitat i societat. Des de tal posicionament teòric i pràctic entorn de l'educació alliberadora proposada pel pedagog brasiler Paulo Freire (1970;1978) identifico, formulo i analitzo quatre capacitats per a l'alliberament epistèmica que s'alineen amb els valors i principis del desenvolupament humà. Aquestes capacitats s'han vist potenciades en les persones que van participar en els quatre casos d'estudis que seran explorats en aquesta tesi: l'experiència de recerca-acció participativa amb cartografia social amb nenes i nens de 4t Primària del CEIP Vicente Gaos (capítol 2); el procés d'Aprenentatge en Acció amb alumnat del Màster en Cooperació al Desenvolupament de la Universitat Politècnica de València i actors del barri Na Rovella (capítol 3); el subproceso de Fotovoz amb les i els joves de secundària de l'IES Jordi de Sant Jordi (capítol 4); i la iniciativa de la Xarxa d'Investigadors Comunitaris (RIC) a Medellín, Colòmbia (capítol 5). Aquestes capacitats per a l'alliberament epistèmica són: la capacitat de ser reconeguda com a subjecta productora de coneixement vàlid, la capacitat de fer des de l'obertura comunicativa, la capacitat d'aprendre del saber col·lectiu per al bé comú i la capacitat de transformar des de l'acció col·lectiva. D'altra banda, també identifico quatre opressions que limiten i obstaculitzen l'expansió d'aquestes capacitats en les interaccions educatives i en els processos de producció de coneixement. L'opressió ontològica limita i obstaculitza la capacitat de ser, les opressions de tipus epistèmics - expressives i interpretatives - limiten, respectivament, la capacitat de fer i aprendre, i les opressions epistemològiques limiten la capacitat de transformar. A partir de tals capacitats i opressions, exploro el cas de resistència i insurrecció hermenèutica de les lideressis i líders comunitaris que participen en la RIC. A continuació, realitzo una discussió global dels principals resultats de la tesi (capítol 6). Finalment, recullo les principals contribucions i conclusions del present estudi doctoral als processos de coproducció de coneixement entre universitat i societat que pretenguin contribuir a l'alliberament epistèmica de les persones que participen (capitulo 7). / [EN] This doctoral thesis analyses four processes of co-production of knowledge between university and society, facilitated from participatory methodologies, as well as their contributions to the expansion of four capabilities for epistemic liberation in the people who participate. The main theoretical foundations that guide this study are the Capability Approach for Human Development, Epistemic Justice and Liberating Education. This thesis was carried out in the form of compendium of scientific publications, collecting three articles and a book chapter published in a prestigious publisher. The methodological strategy is qualitative and is carried out based on participant observation, interviews, participatory workshops and discourse analysis (chapter 1). From a critical perspective of the epistemic injustices proposed by Miranda Fricker (2015), I position myself from the historically oppressed people in the knowledge production processes between university and society. From such a theoretical and practical position around the liberating education proposed by the Brazilian pedagogue Paulo Freire (1970; 1978), I identify, formulate and analyse four capabilities for epistemic liberation that are aligned with the values and principles of human development. These capabilities have been enhanced in the people who participated in the four case studies that will be explored in this thesis: the participatory action-research experience with social mapping with 4th grade boys and girls from CEIP Vicente Gaos (chapter 2); the Learning in Action process with students of the Master's Degree in Development Cooperation at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and actors from the Na Rovella neighborhood (chapter 3); the Photovoice thread with secondary school youth from the IES Jordi de Sant Jordi (chapter 4); and the initiative of the Network of Community Researchers (RIC) in Medellín, Colombia (chapter 5). These capabilities for epistemic liberation are the capability to be recognized as a producer of valid knowledge, the capability to do things from communicative openness, the capability to learn from collective knowledge for the common good, and the capability to transform from collective action. On the other hand, I also identify four oppressions that limit and hinder the expansion of these capabilities in educational interactions and in knowledge production processes. Ontological oppression limits and hinders the capability to be, epistemic type oppressions - expressive and interpretive - limit, respectively, the ability to do and learn, and epistemological oppressions limit the ability to transform. From such capabilities and oppressions, I explore the case of resistance and hermeneutical insurrection of the community leaders who participate in the RIC. Next, I make a global discussion of the main results of the thesis (chapter 6). Finally, he collected the main contributions and conclusions of this doctoral study to the processes of co-production of knowledge between university and society that seek to contribute to the epistemic liberation of the people who participate (chapter 7). / Leivas Vargas, M. (2022). Capacidades para la liberación epistémica en los procesos de coproducción de conocimiento entre universidad y sociedad a partir de metodologías participativas transformadoras [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/190625 / Compendio